http://www.thebattlecreekshopper.com BATTLE CREEK SHOPPER NEWS Thursday, October 10, 2024 19
Sharon Lynn
Stahl passed
away Sept.
27, 2024, in
Lansing, Mich.,
at the age of- She was
born April 11,
Sharon was
a lifelong
resident of
Battle Creek
and loved her
hometown.
She attended
Lakeview High
School, where
she was a
member of
the cheerlead-
ing squad,
pep squad,
school newspaper staff and various
clubs. She spent her college years
at Michigan State University, where
she joined Pi Beta Phi sorority,
and finished at Western Michigan
University, earning her master’s
degree.
Sharon dedicated her career to
education, which for her was a call-
ing and a passion. She worked
as a teacher in Battle Creek Public
Schools and Lakeview Schools, and
later as a counselor at W.K. Kellogg
Junior High and Battle Creek
Central High School. She thrived
making a difference in the lives of
children. After retiring, she would
often run into former students and
listen with great interest to their sto-
ries of life after graduation.
Sharon was a fiercely indepen-
dent, kind and compassionate
woman, who cherished her family
and friends deeply. Her interests
were diverse, centering around
her love for the outdoors, animals,
horseback riding, biking and gar-
dening. She enjoyed travelling, high-
lights being a ski trip to Switzerland
and a bike tour through France after
retirement. She also enjoyed work-
ing out, lunching with friends and
her family. She loved vacationing
up North with her grandchildren.
She is survived by her daughters,
Corie (Todd) Maddox and Shelly
Stahl; son, Derek (Deb) Stahl;
grandchildren, Joshua Maddox,
Zachary (Miranda) Maddox, Molly
(Cody) Cox, Maxwell Maddox,
Gage Stahl and Henry Stahl; and
great-grandchildren, Wesley Cox,
Charlotte Cox, Vivian Cox and Roy
Maddox.
Sharon was preceded in death by
her parents, Kenneth William Davis,
and Tressa Pauline (Pospeck)
Davis; and her high school sweet-
heart, ex-husband and friend,
Fredrick (Rick) Stahl.
A visitation with the family is
scheduled for Oct. 18, 2024, at
10 a.m., followed by a celebration
of life at 11 a.m. at Farley Estes
Dowdle Funeral Home & Cremation
Care in Battle Creek, Mich.
In lieu of flowers, contributions
may be made to the Humane
Society of South Central Michigan,
honoring Sharon’s love for animals.
Personal messages for Sharon’s
family may be shared at http://www.far-
leyestesdowdle.com.Gary
Randolph
Owens, born
in Gilbert, W.
Va., in 1954,
passed away
Oct 5, 2024, in
Mt. Pleasant,
Mich.
He was pre-
ceded in death
by his parents, Jack and Muriel
Owens.
Gary is survived by his older
brothers, Larry (Brenda) Owens of
Ypsilanti, Mich., Doug (Sue) Owens
of Lago Vista, Texas, and his young-
er sister, Kathy Owens of Midland,
Mich. Especially dear to him are his
beloved nephews, Jeremy Owens,
Greg and Ryan Donahue and their
families.
Most of Gary’s youth was spent
in the wondrous hills of Williamson,
W. Va., where a lifetime of memo-
ries and friendships were estab-
lished; truly an idyllic setting to
spend one’s youth. Gary completed
his Associate of Arts degree at
Southern West Virginia Community
College in 1975, followed by his
service in the United States Air
Force.
Gary’s best friend and neighbor of
20 years was Texiriel Gray (Tex) of
Springfield, Mich., whom he shared
a special Christian relationship.
Gary would always affectionately
refer to Tex as “Bugsy” or “Darlin.’”
Tex provided the following senti-
ments on her long and caring rela-
tionship with Gary:
“Gary has always been a kind,
compassionate and giving person.
He would give you the shirt off of
his back or his last dime. He gave
to many different charities and
never met a stranger. Gary loved
talking about the Lord and read hisBible daily. He also volunteered on
a regular basis to read the Bible to
residents at various nursing facili-
ties.
“Over the years Gary has attend-
ed and volunteered at the Fort
Custer Christian Assembly and the
Custer Chapel in Springfield, Mich.,
now known as ‘To Know Within
Ministry.’
“Gary very much enjoyed watch-
ing Christian ministries and pro-
grams on TV. He also loved the old
Westerns on TV, taking walks and
the occasional game of golf.
“Gary is now with the Lord. The
Lord has welcomed him by saying,
‘Well done my good and faithful
servant.’”
Gary has been a most beloved
brother and example of how one
should live their life. He experi-
enced many health issues during
his life but never lost sight of his
purpose on Earth: to share abun-
dantly with those in need without
worry or concern for his own well-
being. Material possessions carried
no significance in Gary’s life. He
never lost sight that his ultimate
destiny and reward was safeguard-
ed by the love and grace of the
Lord.
Funeral services will be offici-
ated by Shepherd Bernard Smith at
Custer Chapel, 560 General Ave.,
in Springfield, Mich., on Oct. 10 at
11:30 a.m., immediately followed
by a 1:30 p.m. graveside service at
Fort Custer National Cemetery.
A special thanks and apprecia-
tion to the dedicated professionals
at The Laurels of Mt. Pleasant who
provided loving care and much joy
to Gary’s life in his last years.
Personal messages for Gary’s
family may be shared at http://www.far-
leyestesdowdle.com.Wills • Trusts
Estate Administration • Probate Law
Powers of Attorney
Guardianships • Conservatorships
Real Estate & Property LawKelly L. O’Connor 1106 S. Kalamazoo Avenue, Marshall, Michigan 49068 Timothy D. Bennett269.781.8460 • http://www.oconnorbennett.com
YOUR PARTNERS IN ESTATE PLANNING AND PROBATE
Jerome
Flynn,
1941-2024,
served four
years in
the Navy.
He went to
St. Philip
School.
He had
four children
and many grandchildren and
great-grandchildren. He is sur-
vived by his wife of 58 years.
He enjoyed watching sports
with his kids. He was loved
and will be missed.Obituary Policy Change
The Battle Creek Shopper News will
accept and publish obituaries only
from licensed funeral homes or
crematories. We no longer accept
nor publish obituaries from family
members or friends via email or
in person. We encourage family
members and friends to seek
assistance from their funeral home/
crematory to compose and submit
obituaries to this newspaper
via email at shopperobits@j-
adgraphics.com. Thank you.